[CR] Campy Rally Variations??

(Example: Framebuilders:Mario Confente)

From: "Bill Kloos" <billkloos@landuseoregon.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <mailman.2067.1241461975.1323.classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To:
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 21:29:47 -0700
Organization: Law Office of Bill Kloos PC
Thread-Index: AcnM5zZ25OrhDfydQcmF4VMO07NRMgAS8n6Q
Cc: Bill Kloos <billkloos@landuseoregon.com>
Subject: [CR] Campy Rally Variations??


List:

Thanks to Kurt Sperry for the link to the myriad of Rally derailleur photos. I have a bunch of these of various types, some NIB. My versions include:

1. The first issue, from 1974, that Jerry Moos refers to as the "horizontal parallelogram" and the best shifting classic Campy RD. The earliest first issue does not have the reinforcing gusset between the horizontal and down part of the body and was prone to fail there.

2. The improved version of the above, with the reinforcing gusset at the weak spot. I have these new, with and without the CPSC plastic button.

3. The simpler model, from a later catalog, that Jerry refers to as the "NR-type drop parallelogram." In this model I have two variations:

(a) A NIB Rally with CPSC buttons and a black (not chrome) gear return spring, which is secured at the top of the DR, like the NR until the mid-1980ss

(b) A NIB Rally without CPSC buttons (because I got it from Europe) with the "Campagnolo Nuovo Record" front plate, with the gear return spring in chrome and secured at the bottom of the DR, like the NR models in the mid-1980's. So, I am thinking this one is 1984 or later -- whenever the last versions of the NR DR shifted the gear return spring to the bottom of the unit.

Since the 3(b) variant is NIB, my working assumption is that on that day, at the factory, they were short of "Rally" front plates and so they reached into the NR bucket to make do. Other than the name cast into the front plate, the Rally and the NR plates are identical.

4. A NIB Euclid, which is the most recent, and goes back to the horizontal parallelogram design, but has little in common with the earlier model in terms of parts or aesthetics (and is surely of off-topic date; so enough said).

In Kurt's photos I don't see version 3(b) shown.

In Kurt's photos I do see a photo the original horizontal parallelogram version with CPSC buttons and the gear return spring secured at the bottom of the DR, which, again, I think began in the mid-1980's. Does this suggest that Campy produced both types in the mid-19870's for a while -- that is, types 2 and 3(b) listed above? Is there material for a PhD dissertation here?

Now, I need some more frames to hang all these on.

Bill Kloos Eugene Oregon BillKloos@LandUseOregon.com

Kurt Sperry and Jerry Moos wrote:

Message: 11 Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 11:32:39 -0700 From: Kurt Sperry <haxixe@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [CR] Campy Rally Variations?? To: <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Message-ID: <75d04b480905041132w669a9d79h165937b1f8264e88@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

Not in chronological (or any other sort of) order, but here's a collection of Rally pics showing all the variants I'm familiar with. I would assume that those "Rally"s with the Nuovo Record front pieces aren't factory as it's a dead simple mod to perform to a Nuovo or Super Record unit. But still only, an assumption.

http://picasaweb.google.com/haxixe/Rally?feat=directlink

Kurt Sperry Bellingham, Washington USA

2009/5/4 Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>:
>
> I was taking inventory a bit this weekend and confirmed that in addition to several of the most familiar horizonal parallelogram Rallys, mostly installed on bikes, I do have one drop parallelogram Rally, which is essentially a Nuovo Record with a long cage. ?In fact mine is marked Nuovo Record, not Rally.
>
> At one time I thought these NR-type Rallys were homebrews, Spense Wolfe being the most famous "home brewer". ?But there seem too many of them for that, and I think it has been confirmed that in fact Rallys of this type were produced by the Campy factory. ?Can anyone confirm that some of the factory-produced Rallys were actually marked Nuovo Record like mine, or does this marking indeed indicate a homebrew? ?Also, I had initially thought the NR-type Rallys would have been earlier than the horizonal parallelogram type, sort of a transition from the homebrews to proper Rallys. ?But some past posters seem to indicate that in fact the NR-type was later, perhaps to address problems with some of the horizonal parallelogram ones breaking just below the upper pivot.
>
> Does anyone have a link to a complete timeline of Rallys, ideally with photos? ?Finally can anyone compare the performance of the more familiar horizonal parallelogram Rally with the NR-type drop parallelogram Rally? I've not yet used my NR type, but I would assume it would not shift as well as the more familiar version, both because the more familiar one had a sprung upper pivot and because the horizonal parallelogram should have less variation in the distance between FW and jockey wheels, though not as good as the true slant parallelogram, on which SunTour still had a patent at the time the Rally and the similar design Shimano Crane were introduced.
>
> Despite the issues with some breaking, I consider the horizonal parallelogram Rally by far the best shifting Campy RD in the classic era, and probably the greatest advance in Campy RD history, aside from the replacement of the old rod-type rear gears with cable operated parallelogram RD's in the 50's. ?This Rally was particularly impressive when contrasted with it predecessor, the half-ton Gran Tourismo.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA